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Minutes of 10/22/2025
October 22nd, 2025
Carroll Energy Commission Minutes
Meeting of October 22, 2025 @ 5:00 p.m.
Carroll Town Hall Community Room
The Carroll Energy Commission mission is to advise, encourage, and facilitate energy conservation, energy efficiency, and clean energy solutions for public buildings and properties, businesses, and resident homes. The Committee shall provide leadership and direction for community education relating to energy and shall propose and explore funding for local energy projects.
These minutes of the Town of Carroll Energy Commission have been recorded by its Secretary. Though believed to be accurate and correct they are subject to additions, deletions, and corrections by the Energy Commission at its next meeting when the Commission votes its final approval of the minutes. They are being made available at this time to conform to the requirements of New Hampshire RSA 91-A:2.
Minutes recorded by Imre Szauter, Acting Secretary
Commission members in attendance: Member Karen Moran, Member and Select Board Representative Brian Mycko, Vice Chair and Secretary Imre Szauter, and Chair Bill Vecchio.
Members of the public in attendance: Melissa Elander, Clean Energy New Hampshire (CENH) North Country Energy Circuit Rider (via Zoom); John Greer (in person).
The meeting was called to order at 5:00 p.m. by Chair Vecchio.
Chair Vecchio invited all attendees to rise and join in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Chair Vecchio stated he would entertain a motion on the September 8, 2025 meeting minutes. Member Mycko motioned to accept the minutes as written. Member Moran seconded the motion. With no discussion, the motion passed with 4 AYES and 0 NAYS.
Chair Vecchio noted that former Energy Commission Member Greer was attending the meeting as a member of the public, as his term on the Energy Commission expired in early October. John Greer has indicated his willingness to serve a three-year term on the Commission and will work with Town Clerk, Crystal Bailey to take his oath of office and seek Select Board approval prior to the November meeting. A vote on John Greer’s membership on the Energy Commission is required to begin the process.
Under New Business, Chair Vecchio opened a discussion on recognition of Vern Amirault’s two-year service on the Energy Commission by stating that we all wish to thank him for sharing his time and expertise with us and the town.
Under New Business, Chair Vecchio opened a discussion on the selection of Chair, Vice Chair, and Secretary positions for the term of October 2025 to October 2026. Chair Vecchio asked if there were any comments on the structure of the Commission, ideas discussed at meetings, or anything that could be improved upon. Member Moran suggested that the positions of Vice Chair and Secretary be merged into one position, as a having three separate positions in a small commission is too many. Chair Vecchio offered that some of the traditional secretary functions, such as meeting minutes, could continue to be handled by a Secretary while other functions, such as meeting planning, agenda preparation, and logistics be handled by a Vice Chair. Member Moran checked the relevant New Hampshire RSAs online and found no requirement in Chapter 38:D that mandates three separate officer positions for an Energy Commission.
Chair Vecchio opened the floor for nominations for Chair. Member Mycko nominated Chair Vecchio for another term. Member Moran seconded the motion. Chair Vecchio declined the nomination, stating that in 2004 he accepted the nomination to serve a second term as Chair but would not serve another term after that. He offered he’d be willing to serve as Vice Chair if Vice Chair Szauter would accept a nomination for Chair. Vice Chair Szauter stated that in 2024, he was nominated and accepted to serve as Vice Chair and Secretary for one additional year, so as in the case of Chair Vecchio, he was ready for a change. Further, Vice Chair Szauter stated he would accept the nomination of Chair if that is the Commission’s desire. The nomination of Chair Vecchio for another term was withdrawn.
Member Mycko nominated Vice Chair Szauter for the position of Chair. Member Moran seconded the nomination. With no additional discussion, members voted unanimously to appoint Vice Chair Szauter as Chair for the next year.
Member Moran nominated Chair Vecchio for the position of Vice Chair. Member Mycko seconded the nomination. Chair Vecchio indicated his willingness to serve in that capacity. With no additional discussion, members voted unanimously to appoint Chair Vecchio as Vice Chair for the next year.
Chair Vecchio turned the meeting over to newly-appointed Chair Szauter.
Chair Szauter nominated Member Moran for the position of Secretary, if she was willing to accept it. Member Moran indicated she would like some time to consider the position before accepting the nomination. Therefore, Chair Szauter withdrew his nomination of Member Moran for the position of Secretary and tabled the nomination for position of Secretary until the next meeting.
Under New Business, Chair Szauter opened a discussion on the renewal of John Greer’s Energy Commission membership. He pointed out the John Greer’s first term on the Energy Commission was two years, as members were appointed to a one, two, or three-year term when the Commission was formed in October 2023. If John Greer is nominated for another term and accepts, it would be for a three-year term.
Member Mycko nominated John Greer for a three-year term on the Energy Commission. Vice Chair Vecchio seconded the nomination. With no additional discussion, the nomination passed with 4 AYES and 0 NAYS.
With the planned early departure by Member Moran and Melissa Elander of CENH due to other obligations, Chair Szauter opened a discussion under Old Business of the CENH blog post opportunity offered by Melissa Elander. She stated that there is no due date for feedback on her draft blog post highlighting the town’s streetlight conversion to LED technology; members are encouraged to review her draft in the Energy Commission Google Drive folder and provide feedback prior to the next meeting.
Under Old Business, Chair Szauter opened a discussion on the Davis-Bacon & Related Acts (DBRA) compliance LCPTracker. Member Moran stated there are still issues with the four payroll entries in the database, but those issues have no impact on our pending NHDOE reimbursement request. MPACT Consulting reassured Member Moran they are not waiting for any information from the Energy Commission or the Town of Carroll to resolve the open issues.
Under New Business, Chair Szauter opened a discussion on the September 25 LES (Local Energy Solutions) conference in Manchester, hosted by CENH. Vice Chair Vecchio and Member Moran attended and offered highlights of their experiences. They noted that Public Works Director, Scott Sonia also attended the LES conference.
Member Moran commented that the presentations in the large assembly room were difficult to hear, due to the public address system and some of the speakers; she found value in the information provided and the opportunity to meet with people she knew from her previous employment.
Chair Vecchio distributed items he brought back from the LES conference and summarized some of the information he gathered during the workshops he attended. He echoed Member Moran’s comments about the value of meeting with both new and old friends in the energy community.
Under New Business, Chair Szauter opened a discussion on the submission of the solar PV array system invoices to NHDOE for reimbursement under the Municipal Solar Grant Program. He and Member Moran worked on the cover letter and gathered the support documents required to prove the project was complete and the town met all the requirements for reimbursement. Select Board Chair, Bonnie Moroney signed the letter on October 14; the letter and support documents were emailed to Paige Relf at NHDOE on October 15; Paige Relf acknowledged receipt on October 16 and stated the letter and documents had been forwarded to their Business Office with a request for payment of the full amount, $86,236.
Under New Business, Chair Szauter opened a discussion on the October 11 pancake breakfast and the Energy Commission display. Member Moran stated the event was a success, with both the Historical Society and the Energy Commission display tables available for attendees to visit.
Under New Business, Chair Szauter opened a discussion on the Knollwood Energy Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) contract. In order to provide members more time for review, the contract was tabled until the next meeting, during which the Commission should consider whether to recommend acceptance to the Select Board.
Member Moran departed the meeting at 5:49 p.m.
Under New Business, Chair Szauter opened a discussion on draft warrant articles for 2026. The first under consideration was a repeat of 2025, to add $10,000 to the Energy Efficiency Capital Reserve Fund. Member Mycko motioned to submit a warrant article to add $10,000 to the Energy Efficiency Capital Reserve Fund. Vice Chair Vecchio seconded the motion. With no additional discussion, the motion passed with 3 AYES and 0 NAYS.
The second warrant article for consideration was to seek voter approval for Kearsarge Energy to lease town land on Straw Road to construct a privately-owned solar PV array on the former landfill and a portion of adjacent town land. Kearsarge Energy has provided several examples from other communities as templates. Chair Szauter suggested several members hold a work session to draft this warrant article for consideration at the next meeting. Members agreed, and Vice Chair Vecchio volunteered to be part of the drafting team.
Under New Business, Chair Szauter opened a discussion on renewal of the town’s Clean Energy New Hampshire Gold Membership at $500. Member Mycko motioned to renew the town’s CENH Gold Membership at $500. Vice Chair Vecchio seconded the motion. With no additional discussion, the motion passed with 3 AYES and 0 NAYS. Chair Szauter thanked Melissa Elander and the rest of the CENH team for their continued support.
Under New Business, Chair Szauter opened a discussion on the Energy Commission’s contribution to the 2025 Annual Report of the Town of Carroll. Town Administrative Assistant, Meg Basnar has requested all departments, committees, and commissions submit their reports by November 1. A draft Energy Commission report was provided for member review. Member Mycko motioned to submit the Energy Commission report as written. Vice Chair Vecchio seconded the motion. During discussion, Vice Chair Vecchio suggested the addition of information related to the Energy Commission assistance to a town business prepare and submit an Eversource Energy energy efficiency rebate application. Members agreed to defer this item until the 2026 Energy Commission submission. With no additional discussion, the motion to submit the report as written passed with 3 AYES and 0 NAYS.
Melissa Elander suggested adding the number of streetlights replaced during the LED streetlight project. Members agreed to add a statement to the report. Member Mycko motioned to submit the Energy Commission report as modified. Vice Chair Vecchio seconded the motion. With no additional discussion, the motion to submit the report with the addition of the number of streetlights replaced passed with 3 AYES and 0 NAYS. Chair Szauter will provide the approved revised version to Meg Basnar.
Under New Business, Chair Szauter opened a discussion on a Renewable Energy Credit (REC) reporting complication. The Energy Commission received an email from Jack Bingham at Barrington Solar LLC, the developer of the Public Safety building solar PV array system, that the installed automated energy production reporting system is not working. His company is working on a permanent solution, but in the meantime system production data must be manually submitted to our chosen aggregator. Jack Bingham will manually produce reports to document our production so no RECs will be lost.
Under New Business, Chair Szauter opened a discussion on submission of the 2026 Energy Commission budget at the October 14 Select Board meeting. There were no questions from the Select Board about requested increases on several lines compared to the 2025 budget.
Under Old Business, Chair Szauter opened a discussion on the Kearsarge Energy Letter of Intent and any follow up. He stated that the Energy Commission and the Select Board are waiting on guidance from Kearsarge about follow-up actions.
Under Old Business, Chair Szauter opened a discussion on the Public Safety building Municipal Solar Program project. There were no items raised for discussion.
Under Old Business, Chair Szauter opened a discussion on the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) federal tax credit application for the solar PV array system. Anita Greer has offered to assist the town in completing the filing process, with the Select Board designating Meg Basnar as the town agent and Chair Szauter as the technical advisor. Melissa Elander suggested beginning the pre-registration process sooner than later, as it is complicated and may require extra time to obtain required documentation. Member Greer suggested that the Energy Commission should inquire about Meg Basnar’s near-term schedule so Anita Greer can assist in the coming weeks. Chair Szauter will work with Meg Basnar to schedule a convenient meeting time for the three of them.
Melissa Elander departed the meeting at 6:18 p.m.
Under Old Business, Chair Szauter opened a discussion on new projects and priorities. There were no items raised for discussion.
Under Old Business, Chair Szauter opened a discussion on an update to the Affinity LED Lighting streetlight conversion project. He reported that all three defective LED streetlights (one on US-3 south and two on US-302 west) had been replaced under the one year parts and labor warranty. The three repaired units were returned and placed in the town’s safety stock. The town also returned the loaner unit that Affinity LED Lighting provided for the Energy Commission’s use during the project’s campaign.
In addition, Affinity LED Lighting provided a streetlight location map that is now a new layer in the town’s GIS system. The GIS system administrator added the map at no charge to the town, giving residents the capability to easily locate and identify streetlights that may require service.
Under Old Business, Chair Szauter opened a discussion on the Eversource Energy streetlight ledger and invoice issues, including unconverted streetlights. Members reviewed the September streetlight invoice, which contains two errors. There are ten 28 W streetlights and one 142 W streetlight/floodlight on the invoice, but not on the ledger. An accurate ledger should be the source of all streetlights listed on the invoice, which is not the case here. Eversource Energy has been notified of the errors and asked to correct them; a copy was also sent to the NHDOE so they can continue tracking and assisting our efforts to resolve errors.
Under Old Business, Chair Szauter opened a discussion on the Rosebrook Lane streetlights on the town’s ledger and invoice. Research by Select Board Chair, Bonnie Moroney and Energy Commission members continues with a goal of meeting with representatives of the Bretton Woods Property Owners Association and the Rosebrook Townhouse Owners Association to establish ownership and maintenance responsibility for the three high pressure sodium streetlights that were not converted to LEDs.
On the three Tabled items, there was a brief discussion on the option to establish town email addresses for Energy Commission members. This will be discussed again at the next meeting.
Chair Szauter reminded members the next regularly-scheduled Energy Commission meeting will be Wednesday, November 12 at 5:00 p.m. in the Town Hall Community Room.
With no additional items for discussion, Chair Szauter entertained a motion for adjournment. Member Mycko motioned to adjourn. Vice Chair Vecchio seconded the motion. With no additional discussion, the motion passed unanimously and the meeting was adjourned at 6:45 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Imre Szauter, Chair and Secretary
Carroll Energy Commission
Karen Moran, Member, 2025-2027
Brian Mycko, Member and Select Board representative, 2023-2026
Imre Szauter, Chair and Acting Secretary, 2025-2027
Bill Vecchio, Vice Chair, 2023-2026
Note: terms end in October of the listed year